ASEAN reports 80% progress on SCS CoC, maintains Myanmar stance

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China have reached a provisional agreement on about 80% of the proposed Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea, Foreign Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Sunday, as negotiations enter their final phase.

Speaking to media delegates at the 49th ASEAN Summit, Lazaro said the progress marked a significant step toward concluding the long-awaited agreement, although differences among member states and China remain unresolved.

“The parties to the declaration of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea have reached a provisional agreement on about 80% of the paragraphs of the draft COC,” Lazaro said.

She said the Philippines, as ASEAN chair, facilitated nine rounds of negotiations and two senior officials' meetings in 2026, with Malaysia and China serving as co-chairs of the negotiations.

“It may be [that] the co-chairs are Malaysia and China, but it is the Philippines' chair who has been shepherding the whole process,” she said.

Lazaro said the parties had also reached a provisional agreement on the relationship between the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the proposed CoC.

“I mentioned again in the past that there are four milestone issues, and one of them has already been affirmed by the parties, and that is the relationship between the declaration of the Conduct of Parties and the Code of Conduct,” she said.

Under the agreement, the DOC would serve as the foundation for the CoC, which would establish more effective provisions to guide the conduct of parties and promote practical maritime cooperation.

“In this regard, the parties look forward to undertaking practical maritime cooperative activities on a voluntary basis in accordance with UNCLOS,” Lazaro said.

She added that the proposed CoC would serve as a mechanism for managing differences at sea rather than settling territorial disputes.

Despite the progress, Lazaro acknowledged that the Philippines would be unable to conclude negotiations during its ASEAN chairmanship, leaving the remaining work to Singapore, which assumes the chairmanship in 2027.

“I think there was not enough time,” Lazaro said. “If we were given probably another five to six months, I think we can finish that."

Lazaro said negotiations had advanced from about 50% completion before the Philippines took the lead in facilitating the process to nearly 80% this year.

“Indeed, this code of conduct is really something that we can be proud of,” she said.

Myanmar representation remains restricted

Meanwhile, ASEAN leaders agreed to maintain Myanmar's nonpolitical representation at high-level meetings until meaningful progress is achieved under the bloc's Five-Point Consensus (5PC).

Lazaro, who also serves as ASEAN special envoy to Myanmar, said leaders agreed to pursue a “calibrated engagement, step-by-step and progress-based approach” toward restoring the country's full political representation.

The leaders reaffirmed the 5PC as the primary framework for addressing Myanmar's political crisis and called for an immediate end to violence against civilians and civilian infrastructure.

In their adopted decision, ASEAN leaders urged Myanmar's armed forces, security forces and armed groups to de-escalate violence, stop attacks on civilians and support efforts toward a sustained nationwide ceasefire.

They also called for the safe and transparent delivery of humanitarian assistance, particularly to internally displaced people affected by the ongoing conflict.

The leaders tasked ASEAN foreign ministers with continuing constructive engagement with Myanmar and encouraged coordination with the United Nations and neighboring countries.

Under the agreement, Myanmar's full political representation may be gradually restored only after sustained and concrete progress in implementing the 5PC.

Myanmar's military leadership has been excluded from high-level ASEAN meetings since the 2021 coup that ousted the country's civilian leader, Aung San Suu Kyi. The country is now led by junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.

Energy security cooperation

ASEAN leaders also called for accelerating regional energy connectivity through the ASEAN Power Grid, a long-standing initiative aimed at strengthening electricity cooperation among member states.

Lazaro said the initiative, which had been discussed for years, gained renewed urgency following the Middle East crisis.

Leaders also encouraged the full implementation of the ASEAN Framework Agreement on Petroleum Security to strengthen regional cooperation and energy resilience.

Earlier in the day, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. handed over the signed Digital Economy Framework Agreement (DEFA) to ASEAN Secretary-General Dr. Kao Kim Hourn of Cambodia. According to Lazaro, the agreement is probably the world's first region-wide digital economy pact.

During the ceremony, an updated ASEAN emblem featuring 11 stalks of paddy was also unveiled, reflecting Timor-Leste's admission as the bloc's 11th member.